Re: Tara's Bog Man: Wealthy Dandy or Celtiberian Scout

On Thu, 1 Feb 2007 08:43:53 +0100, in sci.archaeology, Uwe Müller wrote:


"K. M. Kirby" <kevin.kirby@xxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:1170287619.055025.159200@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The expansion of Celtiberians into the British Isles region was, I
believe, an Iron Age event. It may have occurred more as an
infiltration than outright conquest, but it seems likely that helmets
and chariots played some small role.

The expansion of celtic people across the channel has long been considered
to be one possible explanation for parallel developments, the data agreeing
with this view rests on stylistic similarities. Research into the
settlements has shown a long continuity.

Ireland shows archaeological continuity during this period, there was
clearly no influx of people from wherever Kirby thinks they came from (and
Kirby still refused to give any evidence, just his opinion).


Close contacts across the channel have been noted since the neolithic, and
the 'celtic expansion' is nowadays seen as a cultural phenomenon, not as an
immigration or even a conquest. The spreading of 'celtic' styles and
technology seems to have worked in other areas without great movements of
people.

What you get in Britain is local adaptations of continental styles.

You also get, starting around the 2nd century bce, close relationships
with se England and it's closest neighbours, but you can't call them
'Celtierian'! Barry Cunliffe's Facing the Ocean has some nice maps of
distribution of various objects, eg 12th century Ballintober type swords
made in the north of Ireland, found also in southern England and in the
areas of France closest to England with distributions down rivers. Again,
a different area of Europe.

And crucially, no classical writer refers to the inhabitants of the
British Isles as Celts.


I'd be cautious with the terms Celtiberian or Iberoceltic, they have been
coined because of the need to have some sort of development leading up to
the attested celtic styled finds. There is little evidence for anything like
that in pre-celtic times.


But as far as the world of druids is concerned, it's "onward to Stone-
heng" for me...


There's even less evidence for druids (in the sense of the classical
authors, not the self styled religious persons of today) in Stonehenge.

have fun

Uwe Mueller

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